Steam joint



B. A. MALKIN 2,366,541

STEAM JOINT Jan. 2, 1945.

Filed June 13, 1942 1% mm@ Q, WM. M w ff my@ Vlwmll om @n w Y www m \\\\\VN W% N NnMW s /v V//Af///A .w a a a. ufl@ @LEM n Y l M @M n Patented Jan. 2, 1945 STEAM JOINT Bernard A. Malkin, Lachine, Quebec, Canada, as-

signor to DominionEngineering Works Limited,

, Lachine, Quebec, Canada Application June 13, 1942, `Serial No. 446,996

iciaim. (o1. zas- This invention relates to steam joints for dryer and other steam heated cylinders and the object is to provide an improved self-aligning ball and socket joint of the pressure sealed type.

Almore specific object is to provide an improved pressure sealed `ball and socket joint in which the ball and `socket members and the springs for pressing said members together are arranged, in

a novel manner, Within an enclosing casing so that access may be` obtained to the springs by simply removingan` endwall ofthe casing in which the springsare mounted. i i

i A further object is the provision of an improved pressure sealed ball and socketjoint in which the ball member is made in one piece and is interposed between two socket forming rings provided with concave spherically curved surfaces engaging convex spherically curved ball member surfaces which are fixed in relation to each other so that they have, at all times, the same radius and the same centreof curvature, said ball mem'- ber and rings being floatingly arranged within an enclosing stationary casing provided with an end opening for the passage of` a nipple to which the ball member issecured, said end `opening being sul'ciently larger than the nipple to permit the latter to have a substantial range of lateral and` angular `movement relative to saidcasing, said joint being further characterized in that 'said ball member and said rings are pressed together by springs located at the outer side of and acting i against one of said rings.

Other objects, `advantages and characteristic features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved joint, and shows one method of attaching the rotary part of the joint to a journal of a steam heated drying or other cylinder. g

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 5 designates a ball member rigidly mounted at one end of a nipple 6, the other end of said nipple being screwed into the central opening I of'a flange-forming plate 8 which is fastened, by stud bolts 9 or other suitable fastening means, to the end face of a journal I0 representing the journal an opening I5 for the passageof the nipple 6. The `housing I I also encloses two bearing rings I6 and I'I which constitute the socket members of the joint, the ring I6 being interposed between the ball member 5 and thevendhead I3 and the ring II being interposed between the ball member 5 andthe end head I Il; The ring I6 is formed with a iiat outer surface Ia and a concave sphericallycurved inner surface |6b, the` latter being fitted against the adjacent convexI spher ically curved surface portion 5a of the ballmember 5. The vring I8 is centered on` and supportedI by a pressure plate I8 which is"`recessed,` as at I 8a, to receive the flat side of said ring. The ring I6 and thefpressure plate I 81 are urged toward r r the ball member 5 bythe inner ends ofV coil'` effective pressure of the springs 20 againstthe pressure applying plate I8.

The ring I'Itis provided with a flat outer side IIa and with a concave spherically curved inner surface portion I'Ib. This ring is arranged with the fiat side I Ia in sliding contact with the inner side of the end head I4 and with the concavely curved `surface portion I 'Ib in contact with the convex `spherically curved portion 5b of the ball member 5. The ring I6 serves as a socketforming ring and also as a thrust bearing for the ball member 5. The ring I'I serves as a socket forming bearing ring for the ball member 5 and also as a sealing ring `to prevent escape oi steam through the endopening I5 of casing II. The balimember 5 is here shown as a separately formed one piece member providedlwith a nipple receiving bore 2'I and a continuous annular groove 28, the latter extending around the ball member at right angles to the bore 21. 'I'he bottom wall of the groove 28 is pierced by a plurality of openings 29 registering with similar openings 30 provided in the ball carried portion of the `nipple 6.

The sealing rings IB and I1 and the pressure applying plate I 8 are dimensionedso that these parts are free to move relatively to the casing II in planes substantially paralleling the inner surfaces of the end heads I3 and I 4. In this con- .nection it will also be'noted that the diameter of the opening I5 of end head I4 is substantially in contact with the inner side of the end head. I4. The ball member 5 is also forced against the sealing ring I1 by the pressure of the steam contained within the casing II. In other wordsLtlie steam supplied to casing II throughthe Stefani` inlet I2 surrounds the ball member 5 and tends to force it in the direction of the end head III so that the sealing ring I1 is thus maintained in tight sealing contact with both the ball member 5 and the end head I4. This constitutes the pressure sealing feature of the joint.

A conventional condensate pipe 32 is shown extending outwardly through the journal I and the nipple 6 and into a pipe receiving bore 33 provided in the extension 22 of the end head I3,

theouter end of said pipe being in screw threaded engagement with the outer portion of said bore as indicated at 34. The condensate which is discharged from the interior of the steam heatingcylinder-through the pipe 32 is delivered to a condensate receiving chamber 35 which communicates with the outer end of the pipe receiving bore 33 vand is provided with a condensate outlet 36.

'When the joint described herein is in use the steam supplied to casing Il passes into nipple 6 through the open outer end of said nipple and through the openings 29 and 30 and is delivered through journal I0 to the interior of the dryer orother steam heated cylinder of which the journal forms a part. The condensate accumulatf ing. within the cylinder is discharged through the condensate pipe 32 to the condensate collecting chamber 35 from whence it is delivered through the outlet 36 toward any suitable point of discharge.

The openings 29y and30-are preferably dimensioned so that the total area thereof is at least equal to the area of the steam inlet I2. It will also be noted that the path of steam flow from the opening I2 to the openings 29 and 30 is free of now reducing obstructions. These features are important in that they provide a joint which has a steam ow capacity which is at least equal to the now capacity of the inlet opening I 2.V Another advantage of the joint described herein is that the springs 2i)V which ensure proper initial seating contact between the ball member and theseating or bearing rings I6 and II. are arranged so that access may readily be obtained thereto by removing the end head I3.

made of a suitable carbon graphite composition or some other composition which is a natural lubricant.`

It is not essential that the ball member 5 and the nipple 6 be formed separately as shown herey in since these two parts may be formed integral with each otherl if so desired.A Various other i modifications may be resorted to within the scope vand spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim. I

Having thus described by invention, what I claim'is: l

A steam joint of the character described comprising a ball member provided with a nipple receiving bore open at both ends and with an annular groove extending around the outer surface thereof at right angles to said bore, the bottom wall of said groove being pierced by a series of `tively large opening throughV which the 'nipple extends with considerable clearance and the other end wall `of said casing ybeing provided with a. condensate receiving chamber and with a plurality of spring pockets, said pockets opening into the interior of said casing, a condensate pipe extending through the nipple and having its de livery end secured'to the last mentioned end wall of the casing in communication with said con-' densate receiving chamber, a combined bearing and sealing ring interposed between and in contact with opposing surfaces of the ball member and the end wall of the casing through which the nipple extends, a bearing ring interposed between the ball member and the remaining end wall of the casing and disposed in bearing contact With said ball member, a pressure applying plate engaging .the side of the last mentioned bearing ring remote from the ball member, springs arranged in said spring pockets with their inner ends engaging the outer side of said pressure applying plate and pressure regulating means engaging the outer ends of said springs and op erable to vary the effective pressure of the springs against said pressure applying plate said ball member, rings and pressure. applying plate being` dimensioned so as to permit these parts to move lil independently of the casing in planes substan tially paralleling the inner surfaces ofthe en l The rings I6 and ,I'I are self-lubricating, being. 

